Historical overview about Maps integration in Tiki

Maps have been supported in Tiki since 2003 (which is why some call it a GeoCMS). There is geo-related info in various places (users, trackers, image galleries, articles, blog posts, etc.). This was originally done using MapServer, an active and powerful FLOSS mapping solution. However, it requires a dedicated server and more importantly, access to map data (which is not easy).

Later on, Google Maps arrived, providing an easy to use map integration to regular web sites, even without having to manage mapping data. Thus, Google Maps specific code was added to Tiki, which was convenient for a lot of people.

In Tiki12, all Google Maps specific code was removed in favor of using OpenLayers, so Google Maps is accessible via the OpenLayers Google Layer. In addition the Natural Access project added further new capabilities to upload any existing line and polygon data as files and to be able to further customise how data objects were shown on the underlying map layer.

It should be noted that from Tiki15 all MapServer-specific code has been removed. Also OpenLayers 2.x continues to be used for the map layer and integration with Tiki to allow editable map objects to be overlaid on the map layer but experimentation has started with the integration of OpenLayers 3..x.

Map-related documentation currently (as of February 2016) still makes reference to the different historical approaches but as it continues to be improved the older methods that are no longer used will be deprecated/removed. Volunteers to help with documentation improvement : please contact marclaporte at tiki dot org

Google Maps User

As explained before, the main use for Google Map is to provide a way to store geolocations from user input easily, and provide an easy display of such a map.

Set up your coordinates

You can set up the coordinates of your location through “MyTiki > Preferences > Personal Information”, as Longitude and Latitud (in WGS84/Decimal degress).

If you don’t know them, you can use the “Google Map Locator” link instead (tiki-gmap_locator.php?for=user)

There, you have some buttons to make commons actions related to the Google Map for that user or for the whole tiki:

Link

Action

Back to preferences

Go back to your preferences screen

Save clicked point

Save that point (Longitude, Latitude, and scale fields, on the left of the button)

Save current view as default

Save that view as the default for that user

Reset to site-wide default

Save that view as the default for the whole tiki site

At last, you can see the users map through “tiki-gmap_usermap.php” (hibrid map in the screenshot: Satellite + Geographic Map):